Remitly fees and transfer costs: complete guide [2025]

Remitly® is a US-based money transfer platform that lets you send digital transfers and bill payments to over 150 countries across the world.¹

But how much does it cost to use Remitly? We break down everything you need to know, including Remitly’s fees, exchange rates, and transfer limits.

We’ll also look at Wise – your low-fee money transfer alternative. Send and receive money to 140+ countries, all at the mid-market exchange rate. Let’s dive in!

Table of contents

How much does Remitly charge to send money? Does Remitly have hidden fees? What are Remitly’s exchange rates? Promotional exchange rate Economy service Express service Wise vs Remitly exchange rates Make fast, secure and low-cost international transfers with Wise Remitly fees: full breakdown Cost example: Remitly charges from USA to India How long does a Remitly transfer take? What are Remitly’s transfer limits?

How much does Remitly charge to send money?

Remitly money transfer charges a few different fees for international transactions. These depend on where you want to send your transfer.

For example, it costs 3.99 USD to send money to the UK. This transaction fee is applied on top of the amount you want to send.² So, if you want to send 500 USD, it will cost you 503.99 USD.

However, it costs 1.99 USD per transfer to send money to Mexico³ or 1.49 USD to send money in euros.⁴ This can be a little confusing, especially if you want to send money to multiple countries.

This fee also doesn’t include the exchange rate. More on that later.

Does Remitly have hidden fees?

Remitly markets itself as charging “no hidden fees”, but you’ll still pay an exchange rate charge to convert your US dollars into foreign currencies for international transfers.⁴

The provider offers a promotional exchange rate for first-time customers, but you won’t be able to access this rate for future transfers. You also won’t be eligible for the promotion if you’re an existing customer.⁵

What are Remitly’s exchange rates?

Although Remitly advertises that you can send money globally without hidden fees, you’ll pay an inflated exchange rate charge for international transfers.

You may be eligible for a promotional rate for your first transfer, but the next ones will be at Remitly’s regular rate.² This is a little misleading.

Remitly offers an array of possible exchange rates, depending on new vs returning transactions, delivery speed, delivery method, and payment method. Let’s take a closer look.

Promotional exchange rate

You can access a promotional exchange rate for your first transfer. This is equal to or even slightly above the ‘fair’ mid-market rate – and it’s the rate used in all of Remitly’s marketing.

However, this rate only applies to new customers. It also may only cover certain transaction amounts, depending on where you want to send your transfer.

For example, if you want to send money to the UK, you can send 1500 USD at the promotional rate.² If you want to send money to Mexico, you can access the promotional rate for your first 1000 USD.³

After you reach the maximum transfer amount, any surplus funds will be charged at the applicable Remitly exchange rate.

Remitly also offers promotional deals on foreign transaction fees for your first transfer.²

However, in the terms and conditions, Remitly states that this special exchange rate and zero-fee transaction promotion only applies to transfers before December 2024.⁵

Make sure to confirm all of these deals and discounts with the provider before making your payment.

Economy service

Remitly’s Economy service may be their cheapest way to send money abroad. You can convert currencies at a lower exchange rate⁶, but your transfer may take up to 5 days to reach your recipient.⁷

It’s likely this rate will still have an exchange rate spread for currency conversion. This is the difference between the buy and sell rates used by a financial provider.

Many money transfer platforms use this spread to make money from your transaction. Look out for the mid-market exchange rate. This is the fair standard rate for currency conversion.

Express service

Remitly’s Express conversion rate is the quickest transfer option – your payment should be transferred immediately.⁷

However, Remitly’s exchange rate for this transaction is likely to be less favorable. This means your transfer could end up costing more than expected.⁶

Express is typically used for debit or credit card payments. According to some sources, you won’t be able to use Remitly Express for ACH bank transfers.⁷

Wise vs Remitly exchange rates

Unlike Remitly’s exchange rates, Wise doesn’t use different rates for different transaction amounts or customers.

Everyone can access the fair mid-market exchange rate – and you’ll get a clear, full breakdown of all your fees before you send your transfer.

You can even use Wise’s pricing calculator to compare providers or track the exchange rate for your payment.

Let’s take a closer look at how much it costs to use Wise vs Remitly to send a 1500 USD transfer to the UK.

	Remitly	Wise
Transaction fee	Remitly charges 3.99 USD per transfer to the UK This works out at 1503.99 USD for a 1500 USD transfer	From 0.48% per transfer – this applies to all international transactions, regardless of location*
Exchange rate	Promotional rate for first-time customers For future transfers, you’ll pay Remitly’s Express or Economy rate for your transfer, which includes a markup You may not know how much Remitly will charge for currency conversion until you come to send your transfer	Mid-market exchange rate – this is the standard rate, with no added markups, spreads, or hidden fees
Speed	It can vary – Economy bank transfers may take up to 5 days, whereas Express card payments are often instant	Over 60% of Wise transfers are instant, and 95% are under 24 hours**

**Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.

💡 Wise may be cheaper for larger transfers, since Remitly’s promotional rate only applies to the first 1500 USD (when transferring money to the UK).

After your first transfer, Wise may also be more cost-effective than Remitly’s Express service when sending large sums.

If you choose Remitly’s Economy service, you can save on Remitly’s exchange rate fees. However, your transfer may take 3 to 5 days to reach your recipient.⁷

Make fast, secure and low-cost international transfers with Wise

Send money to 160+ countries with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees with Wise. Set up a free Wise account online or in the Wise app, to transfer money fast in 40+ currencies.

Over 60% of Wise payments arrive instantly** — and all Wise transfers are deposited directly into your recipient's bank account for convenience.

No ongoing fees, no hidden charges and no hassle — just fast, transparent international transfers that can beat the banks.

Get started with Wise

Remitly fees: full breakdown

Let’s take a complete look at Remitly’s transfer fees for international transactions, including how much it costs to send, spend, and convert money.

Fee type	Cost
Transfer fee	Varies by location – for example, it costs 3.99 USD to send money to the UK or 1.99 USD to send money to Mexico
Exchange rate	Remitly’s exchange rates vary – you’ll pay a promotional rate for your first transfer, but this may only cover a certain transaction amount You can choose from Remitly’s Express or Economy exchange rates. You may not know how much these rates cost until you come to send your transfer
Card fees	Depends on your location – in the US, you’ll pay a 3% credit card fee for Remitly payments. This is worked out using the value of your total transfer⁸

Cost example: Remitly charges from USA to India

Let’s look at a cost example. How much does Remitly charge for transfers from the USA to India?

You’ll pay a 3.99 USD transaction fee per transfer to India. This fee is waived for your first transaction or transfers over 1000 USD.

This can reduce costs for large transfers. However, you’ll still pay Remitly’s exchange rate to send money to India.

For transfers up to 2999 USD, you can access a promotional currency conversion rate, but this only applies to your first transfer.

If your transfer is more than 2999 USD, Remitly’s regular exchange rate (which includes a markup) will apply to the amount above 2999 USD.⁹

If you want to send a larger transfer, such as 5000 USD, your recipient will get 422,828.80 INR with Remitly's exchange rate (as of 28 April 2025). When you send your transfer via Wise with the mid-market rate, your recipient will receive 425,044 INR.¹⁰ That’s an additional 2,215 INR — quite a difference!

💡 Sending money to India? See below how you can save with Wise:

How long does a Remitly transfer take?

Remitly Express transfers may reach your recipient immediately, whereas Economy transfers may take 3 to 5 business days.

You may need to initiate a transfer before you can access your exact transaction times, transfer limits, exchange rate costs, and transaction fees.

What are Remitly’s transfer limits?

Your Remitly transfer limits will depend on your location, your transfer method, and whether you’ve verified your account.

Here’s a look at some examples:

Sending location	Limit¹¹
From the US	25,000 USD (30,000 USD when sending to India)
From the UK	25,000 GBP
From Australia	10,000 AUD
From Canada	15,000 CAD (25,000 USD when sending to India)

💡 With Wise, you can send up to 1,000,000 USD per wire transaction to 140+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees.

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It’s important to look into Remitly’s fees before making your first transfer. These charges all depend on the amount and currency you want to send, which can be confusing.

The provider also uses a promotional exchange rate for first-time customers. This is the rate they market online, but you’ll likely pay more for future transfers.

You may also pay an inflated exchange rate for transfers over a certain amount, so look out for these added charges.

To send speedy money transfers to 140+ countries – all at the fair mid-market exchange rate – check out Wise.

Sources:

1. Remitly - Send money online with Remitly
2. Remitly- USD to GBP
3. Remitly - USD to MXN
4. Remitly - USD to EUR
5. Remitly - Terms and conditions
6. Remitly - Common money transfer terms explained
7. Money Transfers - Remitly review: Exchange rates, transfer fees and limits
8. Remitly - How do I pay with a card?
9. Remitly - USD to INR
10. Wise - Compare Remitly vs Wise
11. Remitly - Send money online from the United States from Remitly

Sources checked 05/09/2025